


Twice In a Lifetime

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Sebastian Stan fanfics - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Love, Romance, Second Chances, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-10 05:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12904968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: Some days things don't go the way we plan.  For Sebastian Stan and Vicki Rousseau, today was destined to be one of those days.  A friendship from days gone by, feelings too long ignored and denied, and the 'elevator ride from hell' align to set the table with events that bring them together and offers them the chance to try again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Sebastian Stan One Shot.  
> I hope you enjoy it ... and please feel free to leave comments and suggestions!!

 

Sebastian Stan was not happy. He didn’t understand why HE needed to be present for this meeting. This wasn’t the way these things usually worked for him. Maria, his long time publicist and friend had assured him that the meeting would be short and that he was mostly there to ask questions if he had any. She even suggested that he should be grateful that for once, his opinion would truly be not only welcome, but taken under serious consideration in the contract agreement.  Snorting as they entered the first floor lobby of the McCann Building, he took a deep breath and put on a winning smile to meet the woman who was walking towards them with the air of a friendly professional.

“Mr. Stan,” she extended her hand and Sebastian took it in his own, giving hers a firm squeeze.

“Ms. Parker,” she greeted Maria warmly.

“Yes, dear… Please call me Maria.”

“Of course, thank you Maria. I’m Victoria Rousseau. I am so pleased to meet you both and please, do call me Vicki. Mr. Pine and Mr. Simmons are just finishing up with another client and asked that I come down to escort you to our offices.”

Victoria Rousseau had only been working with the McCann Ad Agency for just over a month and she still felt at least a little lost most of the time. The maze of offices and conference rooms and media rooms, gathering rooms … well, it seemed unending; they occupied the top seven floors of the 40 story building.  

It was in her nature to be nervous and this morning was even more nerve wracking than most. She was meeting with the new spokesman for Foster Grant Sunglasses to go over a variety of things with him and “his people”. Sounds like no big deal… should BE no big deal; that’s her job, right? EXCEPT… the new spokesman happened to be Sebastian Stan.

Vicki prided herself on not being a fan girl… she lived in New York City for heaven’s sake. Celebrities were a dime a dozen in this town. However, she had been harboring a serious crush on Sebastian for years now; since junior high school in fact. Even though he was rumored to be one of the more accessible ‘stars’ to the media and to his fans; she had somehow never managed to be in the right place at the right time. She doubted seriously that he would even remember her; and she wasn’t sure if she even wanted him to. She would know soon enough.  


Sebastian’s mood was quickly improving as they walked together to the bank of elevators. Several of them were blocked by saw-horses; the doors gaping open wide with wide yellow caution tape spread across them.

“I apologize for the mess and the inconvenience,” Vicki smiled at each of them, receiving an odd look from Sebastian. “We’ve been having trouble with the elevators and it appears that the repair service chose **today** to work on them.” She led them to the “executive” car, inserted a pass key and the doors opened immediately.

“Here we go!” she said cheerfully, smiling brightly at Sebastian; praying to God that he hadn’t noticed her hands shaking. She was so nervous she was afraid she was going to start sweating pools, and quite possibly pass out. He was every bit as handsome in person as she knew he would be. His smile was so authentic, just the way she remembered; and those eyes of his were legendary.

Sebastian stood to the side of the elevator car; so he was able to watch Ms. Rousseau, without being too obvious about it. There was something… **something** so familiar about her, but he couldn’t come up with a time or place. She was quite pretty and … well groomed? That was the phrase that came to mind, even though he wasn’t sure what it even meant. Dressed in a dark gray pencil skirt that only hinted at the long slender legs underneath, topped with a crisp white blouse, she looked the part of a professional business woman. She wore black heels that added a couple of inches to her height, while her long blonde hair was pulled back in ponytail that hung gracefully down her back, and curled seductively at the end. She gave the impression of being a woman who knew exactly what she was doing, while at the same time appearing warm, friendly, welcoming… _oh hell, what was he even thinking_?

Suddenly the doors opened, he hadn’t even felt the car stop, and Maria stepped out followed by Vicki, whom he watched with appreciation as she walked in front of him… _nice_. As promised, Mark Pine and Joe Simmons were there to usher them into a comfortable conference room. They were joined there by another woman who looked terribly nervous. Her name was Joanne Austin and she was Vicki’s assistant. After all the introductions were made, everyone was seated and served refreshments, and then they got down to business.

Sebastian was surprised and inordinately pleased to learn that Vicki was going to be handling his account, acting as the liaison/point of contact between Sebastian and Foster Grant. He smiled at her and she smiled back, making a small little motion with her hand that caught his attention. _Where had he seen that before_?

Maria had been spot on when she had told Sebastian the meeting would be short and sweet. It didn’t take long at all to go through the contract, which sounded perfectly acceptable, and he happily signed on the dotted line. After a few minutes of ‘small talk’, Pine and Simmons thanked them for their trust and confidently turned the meeting over to Vicki, who was jotting down a few notes and conferring with Jo, who it seemed was unable to keep her eyes off of Sebastian.  
  


Looking up from her notes, Vicki caught Sebastian watching her.

“I’m sorry if it seems like I’m staring… I don’t mean to,” he shook his head slightly   “It’s just that something about you seems so familiar. Have we met before?”

Giving him her full attention, as Jo listened on with growing interest; Vicki took her reading glasses off and stared directly at him with a grin on her face.

“Yes, we have met before. In fact, we were classmates for about 10 minutes in junior high and we crossed paths a few times in high school.” She grinned sweetly at him.

Sebastian continued to search his memory as he took in her appearance and after a moment longer, his eyes grew round in disbelief as he whispered loudly, “No way!!”  In astonished disbelief he asked, “Vicki? Vicki Stewart? Oh my God!!”

He moved to stand directly in front of her, taking her hand as she stood and pulling her into a bear hug. She laughed and pulled back to smile into his eyes, saying, “Surprise!!”

“Oh… I…yes!! Why didn’t you say something before?” he asked as he kept looking at her like he’d never seen anything so amazing. Before she could even answer him, he grabbed her again and gave her another hug saying, “Damn! You look fantastic!”

“Wow! Was I really THAT bad before?” she asked him with a poke on his shoulder.

“Oh hell no!!! Not at all. In fact, I was surprised you ever had anything to do with me…” he shook his head again, “damn…”

Joanne, who was fascinated by this entire exchange, suddenly realized that she might be intruding on a ‘moment’ and cleared her throat, saying “Vicki, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I still have those other papers to get ready for you. I’ll excuse myself now if you won’t need me for anything else?”

“Thanks Jo, that would be great…and please don’t let me forget to grab a couple of cigars for Mr. Curtis when I go out for lunch”

Sensing that lunch with Sebastian might be in her boss’s future, Jo said, “No worries, I’ll even grab them myself while I’m out if you like.”

“That would be great; you know the kind he likes, right?” Joanne nodded as she continued, “Thank you Jo, you are too good to me. Grab yourself a couple while you are at it,” Vicki smiled and Joanne laughed loudly, shaking Seb’s hand again and blushing as she left the conference room.

All the while this was going on; Maria had been on her cell, speaking softly with someone. When she hung up, she asked Sebastian if he would mind if she headed out to take care of some personal business.

“Of course not; is there anything you need?”

“No dear, you two have a nice visit, we’ll talk later. Vicki, it’s been a pleasure and I look forward to working with you.”

“Thank you Maria. I’ll be in touch” they hugged lightly and Maria smiled and left in a rush of ruffles and perfume.

Vicki grinned and Sebastian shook his head and said, “Don’t say it.” After which they burst out laughing. It seems that Maria reminded them both of a teacher they had shared in school and it brought a pleasant memory to mind. Taking her left hand, looking for a ring that wasn’t there and giving her a sideways glance he asked, “So… Victoria Rousseau? That wouldn’t be Jared Rousseau, would it?”

Dropping her jaw, Vicki replied, “Oh lord no!! You know he was far too good for me; at least that’s what I heard from a couple of his closest friends. I married David, his cousin.”

Sebastian’s eyes grew huge again as he asked, ”You …and David Rousseau? … The JOCK??”

Laughing, she nodded her head, “The one and only. And I can see that you are wondering if we are still together. The answer is no.”

He could tell by the tone of her voice it hadn’t ended well. “Sorry” was all he said.

“Don’t be. It wasn’t all bad. I just kept thinking that he would grow up one day. He never did.” She shrugged and seeing that Sebastian was a little uncomfortable with the conversation, she quickly changed the subject.

“So… it **is** almost that time, care to join me for lunch?” she asked.

“No, but I would love for you to join ME,” he gave her a sly smile. “Maybe I can make up for the sorry ass goodbye gift I gave you in 8th grade.”

Vicki closed her eyes for a moment smiling at the memory. “Don’t you dare say that! It was a very thoughtful gift. And it was the nicest rock anyone ever gave me.”

Seb put his hand on his head and ran his fingers through his thick brown hair saying, “So lame. I was actually hoping you wouldn’t remember it. I don’t even know why I brought it up!”

“Are you serious? Not only do I remember, I still have that rock, somewhere. Okay, my mom probably has it in this trunk filled with stuff from my school days; but she knew how important it was to me, so I’m certain she kept it.”

Again they laughed and Sebastian offered her his arm as they walked to the reception desk, where she gave a rundown of what she would be up to for the afternoon. As they turned to leave, they were surprised when one of the regular elevators arrived, doors opening quietly, inviting them inside.

“Shall we?” Sebastian asked.

“Lori, are these working properly now?” Vicki asked the receptionist softly.

Lori, who had just answered the phone and didn’t have a clue, smiled and nodded, watching with envy as Sebastian placed his hand on the small of Vicki’s back as they passed through the doors and selected the button for the main lobby.

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The doors closed silently and for a few seconds it didn’t appear that they were going to go anywhere. Sebastian was reaching for the panel of buttons to press “L” again, when they felt a sudden jerk and the elevator started to descend, very slowly. Vicki looked at the doors and bit her lip, then glanced at Sebastian with a weak attempt at a smile. He could tell that she was trying to hide her discomfort as he suddenly remembered that she had suffered from severe claustrophobia back in school. Moving closer to her, he put his arm around her, saying, “I’m sure it’s okay.”

Those words had barely escaped his mouth when the car jerked to a quick halt and then immediately started to descend again, picking up speed. “Oh god,” she whispered and he did what came naturally, pulling her into his arms, tight against his chest as he put one hand on the back of her head in a protective manner. They “fell” from the 38th floor to the 18th floor at what felt like MACH One, and then came to a screeching halt; stopping between the 16th and 17th floors. Next, they started hearing alarms ringing and people shouting, before it grew almost too quiet.

Vicki was breathing hard as she looked up at Seb with a shocked expression. She had a death grip on his arm and he nodded then kissed her on the top of her head, before pulling his phone out, only to find the “no signal’ warning flashing on the screen. Somehow, that didn’t seem right, since Maria had been using her cell before she left. Then he remembered it wasn’t unusual to get pretty poor reception in elevators. Looking at the emergency phone built into the side of wall and seeing there was no handle, he asked her, “How do you open this?” It was equipped with a spring latch that she released by pushing the panel lightly with her finger. The small glass door opened and Sebastian grabbed the phone, placing it to his ear. All he heard was dead air.

Vicki had been watching him closely, and loosening her grip on his arm, she took a deep breath and held her hand out to him saying “Let me try.” She listened to the silence on the other end, and then put the hand piece to her chin, closing her eyes. Seb started to say something, but she held her finer up, asking for a minute. She was trying to remember the emergency procedure for being trapped in the building elevators.  


Sebastian kept a close watch on Vicki for signs that she was going to have a meltdown. He remembered an incident from their school days when several jerks had locked her in a small supply closet, breaking the overhead light bulb so she would be in the dark; for no other reason than the fact that they could. At least that was their excuse to the principal. **He** knew it was because she wouldn’t give any of them the time of day and they didn’t like it; especially because she DID talk to him, the weird one.   Anyway, she had started screaming and crying and banging on the door, really freaking out. Sebastian just happened to be walking down that hall when he heard her. If he had gone straight home instead of staying late to talk to one of his teachers for a while, there was no telling how long she would have been locked in there. He spoke through the door, trying to calm her down. At first she grew quiet, wondering if the boys who had put her in there had come back to do something even worse.

“Vicki, its Sebastian…let me help you. Do you see any kind of latches on the door that might unlock it from that side?” She sniffled and whispered roughly, her throat sore from screaming. “I can’t see anything. Its pitch black in here.” He told her to be brave, and that he was going to get help. Luckily the teacher he had been with hadn’t left yet and after popping into the school office and grabbing a huge ring full of keys, he allowed Sebastian to drag him back to where Vicki was locked in. Finding the right key took several tries and once the door-lock clicked and he pulled it slowly open she nearly knocked him over as she exited the closet, and then stood there, shaking, and sucking in air, looking like she might puke. Her face was stained with tears and the tips of a few of her fingers were bleeding from her desperate attempt to find a way out.

The teacher asked her what had happened and she started crying again. She didn’t want to talk about it. He was in a hurry to get somewhere, so he told her to stop in the office the next morning and make a report of the incident and that he would be following up to make sure that she did. Sebastian asked her if she was okay and she nodded, then he asked if he could walk her home and after a minute, she nodded again. They stopped by her locker and picking out the books she needed to take with her she smiled shyly at him and as they left the building together Sebastian was already making plans to retaliate against the assholes that had done this.

Arriving at Vicki’s front door, she thanked him for saving her and for walking her home, and then she gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek, smiling sweetly. At that exact moment, her mother threw the door open and asked what on earth had happened to her. Vicki answered, “Nothing mom,” and looking at Sebastian, she rolled her eyes and said, “See you later,” before walking into her house. That was the way their friendship had started, and even though it wasn’t long before she and her family moved away, (her father was career military, so they moved a LOT) he had never really forgotten the pretty girl who had always been nice to him and the day she kissed him on the cheek….

 

“Damn!” she whispered softly as she tried entering a code into the phone for the second time and got nothing. She pressed her lips together, then started to enter another set of numbers, looking at him and saying, “Third time’s the charm, right?”

Sebastian nodded, hoping that it was true, and when she entered the numbers, instead of silence, there was a clicking noise followed by the sound of a busy signal. He raised his brow and offered, “That’s got to be better than nothing, right? I mean, maybe try again in a few minutes and someone will answer?”  


Vicki sighed, hoping it was as easy as that. The lights in the elevator had gone out when they had suddenly stopped between floors and now the car was lit by a dim reddish glow that made things seem even worse, if that was possible. She was trying very hard to maintain her composure, but she could feel the icy tendrils of fear creeping down her spine. _Breathe, she reminded herself, just breathe._ She had fought this battle with claustrophobia her whole life and just when she thought she was making progress, this happens…at least she wasn’t alone _._ As a rule, she tried to always get on the least populated elevator and generally she would ride down half way and then get out taking the stairs the rest of the way down. The air was getting quite warm and not moving at all and she could feel sweat forming behind her ears. Sighing again, she kept telling herself it was going to be okay.

Sebastian reached out and took her hand, without saying a word and she knew he hadn’t forgotten the day he saved her from the closet. She had tucked that incident away with many others that she had chosen to forget over the years, but now it came flooding back; the group of boys standing at the end of the hall she needed to walk down, and the way they were whispering and snickering as she approached them. She had never backed away from anything in her life and she wasn’t about to then. She fought them hard but there were four of them and she never stood a chance. She mostly remembered feeling like the walls were closing in on her. She couldn’t SEE anything and everything she touched felt so foreign to her and she started freaking out almost immediately. She could hear them laughing and calling her “cry baby” and “stuck-up” and the last thing she heard them saying was that she should chose friends who were **American** and not from some communist country. She had never told Sebastian that of course; she didn’t want him to think it was his fault that THEY were so stupid and mean.

Looking up into his eyes, she whispered, “I’m so glad you are with me. I mean, I’m sure **you** would rather be just about anywhere else, but I’m glad you’re not. Seems like it must be your job to get me out of scary places”

He chuckled and put his arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. “Sorry, I’m not doing a very good job this time.”

“Oh yes you are. I would be a quivering pile of Jell-O right now if you weren’t here.”  


She should have pulled away from him then, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It felt so good to have someone hold her, and to have that someone be a person that in her memories she had always trusted and felt safe with… even after all these years; it was a wonderful feeling. Sebastian smiled into the dimly lit elevator car, wishing he could do something to get them out of there; but had to admit to himself, he didn’t exactly mind what they were doing right then. It felt nice to hold her in his arms, her head lying lightly on his chest; her hands resting gently about midway up his back. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes, until Vicki started to feel a little awkward thinking she was clinging to him like a child; and started to pull away.

Sebastian wasn’t ready to let her go, and he held onto her. When she looked into his eyes, she saw something there that she never expected to see; desire. She gave him a small, tentative smile and he put his hand on her face and then leaned close, his lips touching hers softly at the precise moment the elevator phone rang loudly.

“gahhhh!” Vicki nearly jumped out of her skin and Sebastian jerked back with small grunt. She picked up the phone saying “Hello??”

“This is David Marx with building security, the situation here is under control and your questions will be answered as soon as we get you out of there. Who am I speaking with and how many passengers in your car?”

She recognized his name and his voice quickly telling him “This is Victoria Rousseau ID #634871; there are only two of us in this car.”

“Hello Ms. Rousseau; are either one of you injured in any way?”

“No, we… we’re fine. A little nervous maybe, but fine.”

“Excellent. Are you familiar with the other passenger?

“Yes, I am.”

“Good. I know it’s difficult, but try to remain calm. There is nothing to worry about, although it may take up to an hour to get you out of there. As I said, everything is under control and you are in no danger. We will get to your car as soon as possible, alright?”

“Yes, of course. I look forward to seeing you downstairs.”

“Yes ma’am. You hang in there,” and with that David Marx disconnected the call to move on to the next elevator that was trapped between floors.

With a sigh of relief she repeated everything that David had told her to Sebastian and then pulled off her heels and took a seat on the shiny waxed floor. With a shrug he pulled off his jacket, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves to join her there, leaning his head back against the marble wall.

“That was pretty brave of you to not let him know how uncomfortable you are in small spaces. It may have convinced him to put us higher on the list,” he spoke softly, wondering why she hadn’t done just that.

Sighing, Vicki told him she had been working on her ‘fear’ and that one of the exercises her counselor told her to try was to put things into perspective. On a scale of “I’m uncomfortable” to “HOLY SHIT LET ME OUT OF HERE!!” where did she stand? If it was below halfway, hang in there and DEAL with it.

“Wow,” he laughed. “What kind of counselor are you seeing? Gestapo?”

She snorted and said proudly, “Navy Seal” giggling again.

They both smiled and then fell silent, not sure what to do. Pretend the ‘almost kiss’ had never happened? Blame it on the situation? Try it again?

“So, what made you go to work for an ad agency? I was sure you would turn out to be the next Brittany Spears or something…”

“Gee thanks!” Vicki laughed out loud.

“Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best example, but you know what I mean,” he bumped her shoulder with his arm.

“Yeah… well… You know… it…” she sighed, unable to find the words to explain what had taken her off the music & arts path she had been on when she and Sebastian had been in high school, to end up working for the prestigious ad agency where they were currently trapped together in an elevator. He had turned his head to look at her, not able to remember a time when she didn’t have a ready answer. Finally Vicki rolled her eyes and shook her head saying, “It’s complicated.”

He nodded and although he was curious and really wanted to know more, he got the impression it was not something she cared to revisit. It was a shame, because he remembered her having a beautiful voice.

“So,” she piped up, “What’s it like to be the man that every woman’s dreams are made of?”

“Shiiit,” he snorted. “Not exactly what I had in mind. But, I will say, it has its perks.” He grinned slyly and now it was her turn to snort.

“I’ll just bet it does.   But really, do all the fame and fortune and adoration make the other crap you have to deal with worthwhile? Seems like it might.”

Sebastian nonchalantly reached over and took her hand in his, not answering for a minute. Heaving a sigh, he said, “It is worth it. 98% of the time, it really is.”

Vicki nodded, understanding that NOTHING in life was ever going to be perfect…but those percentages were impressive. “Good. I always knew your dreams would come true. I’m so happy for you Sebby.”

He answered softly “Thank you angel… now, please tell me that YOU are happy…please.”

“I’m… content. Extremely content, and that’s a lot more than most people can say.”

Sebastian reached across her and grabbed her other hand, turning her to face him. “Content is good. It is. But it’s not for you. You deserve to be happy. What would make you happy?”

“Christ Sebastian! … Why are you asking all of these ‘deep’ questions? Are you my new shrink? And if I tell you all my dark secrets, do you honestly think you can change anything?”

He looked away, knowing she had a good point. But she was missing another, very important point and that was just how much he really CARED.

“I’m sorry” she whispered. “I don’t know why I snapped at you. Maybe I’m a little more on edge than I want to admit.   Please forgive me.”

“Hey, it’s okay. Nothing to forgive. I’m just being nosy I guess. My life is an open book and you know everything about me while I really don’t know anything about what’s going on with you, that’s all.” If only she knew how much seeing her, being here with her was affecting him.

“Okay,” Vicki tilted her head at him and said, “What do you want to know? I’ll try not to bite your head off.”

Looking at her bare left hand again he asked, “Are you dating anyone?”

“No. I mean, yes I DO date once in a while, but you know the saying, ‘you have to kiss a lot of frogs…?” he smiled at her, nodding as she continued, “I’ve found that I’m just not that crazy about frogs and apparently turning one into a prince is a pretty tough job.”

Sebastian chuckled and asked, “So… you’re saying, there’s no one in particular?”

“Right, no one in particular.”

He smiled thinking to himself… _good._

“Do you still sing?” he wondered out loud.

“Of course! In the car, in the shower, when I’m cleaning house… and sometimes when I walk… but I tend to get some funky looks when I do that, so I try to control myself.”

“I bet you get the looks because they are trying to figure out what famous singer you are.”

She looked at him like he was an idiot child and said, “Yes dear, I’m sure that’s it,” then laughed out loud, making Sebastian grin. He had always thought she had the most honest laugh he had ever heard, even to this day.

They continued on asking questions of each other, laughing and joking, remembering events from their past; keeping each other’s mind off the fact that the hour that it was supposed to take to get them out had come and gone and they were still there. After a while, they grew quiet and Vicki leaned against Sebastian and sighed, prompting him to put his arm around her. It wasn’t long before he started playing with her hair, humming a tune that he couldn’t remember the words to. It sounded familiar to her, but at first she couldn’t quite place it, and then it dawned on her and she started to sing along…

“Now that she's back in the atmosphere  
 With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey, hey      
 She acts like summer and walks like rain  
 Reminds me that there's a time to change, hey, hey, hey  
 Since the return from her stay on the moon  
 She listens like spring and she talks like June, hey, hey, hey Hey, hey, hey   

 But tell me, did you sail across the sun?     
 Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded  
 and that heaven is overrated?    

 Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star-    One without a permanent scar?     
 And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?”  
                                                                                “Drops of Jupiter”~ Train

  

Sebastian listened as she sang, her voice so sweet and pure he closed his eyes smiling. When she finished, Vicki giggled and looked at him with a tender smile and it seemed it was the perfect moment to cup her chin in his hand and lean down to kiss her. It was a soft gentle kiss and she didn’t seem to mind, but as soon as he pulled away, she stood up and walked to the other side of the elevator, looking at the ceiling. Not one to give up that easily, Sebastian stood and joined her on the other side. He placed one arm on the wall, shoulder high on her left side, and then put his other hand on her right shoulder, “Is everything okay?”

Vicki hadn’t expected that kiss, any more than she had the first attempt. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling either. Of course she was attracted to Sebastian, who wasn’t?? But this? This was something else all together. Her emotions were all over the place and she didn’t want to make more of it than was there. She had done that in the past and paid the price for it. But she didn’t want him to think she was not interested, did she? Crap!! Why did they have to get stuck in this stupid elevator??

“Yes, everything is fine… I’m just, really nervous about all of this,” she said, waving her arm around the elevator.

“I understand. It’s just that I had forgotten how much I enjoyed your company back in the day. And now, here you are. I don’t mean to be pushy, or insensitive, or disrespectful…” as he spoke he slowly leaned in closer, whispering the last words in her ear, “I just want to... I don’t know… I’m thinking maybe we could have been, **should** have been more than friends back then. Maybe it’s not too late?”

She looked into his eyes, and down at his lips and before she could look back up he brushed her lips with his, tenderly at first, then more insistent and inquisitive, slipping his tongue into her mouth for a gentle dance with hers. He kissed her lips again, then her jaw and up to her ear, catching the soft moan that escaped her as he whispered, “What do you think?”

Suddenly, Vicki gasped and turned her head away. _Fuck! What did he do now_? She put her hands on his shoulders, gave him a wide eyed look and whispered, “Cameras… I forgot that there are cameras in all of the elevators. I don’t know who might or might not be watching, but the big bosses sort of frown on employees fraternizing with clients.” She looked into his eyes and mouthed “sorry” and he nodded, letting her know he understood. He let her go and moved just slightly away from her, but still held her hand as they waited for someone to come and get them out.  


Finally, there was a tapping on the outer door followed by the sound of it and the inner door being pried open. A man with a hard hat peered down at them and smiled. “You two okay?” he asked in a booming voice. They both nodded and he laughed saying, “Well alright then, I’m Gary; let’s get you out of there! He slid though the opening and dropped down as another man took his place in the doorway, reaching down to grab whoever’s hand came his way. Gary hooked his gloved fingers together and leaned down slightly saying “Okay little lady, step on up!”

Vicki glanced at Seb who stood next to her and helped her keep her balance as she stepped on the makeshift ladder the man provided and he lifted her just enough that the other worker grabbed both of her hands and lifted her up like she was a feather. She leaned her head back in and asked for her shoes and Gary laughed again, tossing them up for his co-worker to catch. Next Sebastian took that first step and could just touch the opening above where his hands were grabbed firmly and he was lifted up as well. Once they were out, there were several medics in attendance and they were escorted down to the main lobby where there was a make shift clinic set up. After being looked at by the doctor and signing papers and given instructions to watch for certain symptoms of PTSD, they were released and then escorted to a parking garage where they could either have their cars brought to them or a ride would be provided for them if they didn’t feel up to driving.

“Vic, let me take you home,” Sebastian was holding her by the upper arm.

“Oh… no thank you Sebby. I’ll be fine. Really.”

“Vicki, please.” He didn’t think she should be alone for a while.

“Sebastian. I know you are only looking out for me and I appreciate it, I really, really do. But honestly, I am fine and I don’t want you to go out of your way. I’m sure you have things to do, people to see and all that.”

“Can I call you later?” he finally relented.

“Yes, of course. It’s not necessary, but I wouldn’t mind.”

With that, she climbed into her car and smiled at him, then pulled out around the barricade and made her way home.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Sebastian made a couple of stops along the way and when he reached his apartment, he immediately took a shower and changed into his most comfortable pair of skin tight jeans and a white under armor t-shirt. He checked messages and responded to a couple, and then dug deep into the spare bedroom closet, way back in the corner where he found the box he was looking for. Once he pulled it out, he found what he wanted; the few yearbooks that he thought Vicki would be in.   The first one he flipped through, there was no ‘class’ photo; she had started there a couple of months into the school year and missed photo day. But there were a few candid shots that she had made her way into and oddly enough; he was in a couple of those same shots.

“Damn! She was so cute!” he said out loud and laughed at a photo that showed them side by side in the lunch room, with 3 others at a small table. Sebastian had an adorable, goofy grin on his face and Vicki looked like she just didn’t have time for the photographer’s nonsense, even though she could barely hide her smile or her twinkling eyes. It was a fun picture. The other shot was of just the two of them. It was in science class; they were wearing ‘lab coats’ and goggles and she was adding something to a beaker from a tube she was holding. Sebastian was looking on intently and as he recalled it, he was really watching her. If you looked closely at the photo, you could tell that his attention was not on what it should be. He laughed as he stared at that photo, remembering that after it was snapped and the drops hit the mixture in the beaker, things went wrong… ending in smoke and choking and a lot of laughter. THAT was a good day.

He went through a couple of the other books and was amazed at how many pictures there were of the two of them together. Yeah, it was a small school with small classes so that was bound to happen, but he hadn’t realized how often they could be found together. He put the books back in the box and pulled out the business card that Vicki had handed him at that morning’s meeting. He started to dial her up, but hesitated and decided not to. He looked her up in the white pages and got her address, then checking the clock, and hoping she hadn’t eaten yet, he grabbed his wallet and keys and left his apartment, with one thing on his mind; Victoria Rousseau.

 

Vicki had made the most of her ‘afternoon off’, working of course. She used her laptop to sign on to the mainframe at the office and managed to close out 2 client reports, submit her expense report for the past month and even jot down one solid idea for the Foster Grant account. She caught herself smiling as she thought about the look on Sebastian’s face when he recognized her after their meeting. It seemed his memories of her were just as fond as hers were of him and that made her feel ridiculously good for some reason. What a day it had been… no one had explained to her just what had happened with the elevators yet, but she was certainly interested to know what it was all about. Faulty wiring in the computer sensors on the elevator cars was her guess; but admittedly, you could fit what she knew about that sort of thing in a thimble. She had just finished signing off the computer and was thinking about what to make for dinner; she had eaten a tiny bag of M&M’s on the way home and her stomach was talking to her about it. With the refrigerator door open wide she stood there on one leg, the other balanced on her foot when the doorbell buzzed. She wasn’t expecting anyone and chose to ignore it for a moment, while she continued to explore the possibilities in her fridge.

The bell buzzed again and sighing she walked over to look out the peephole. Oh God!! It was Sebastian!! What the hell?? He said he might CALL… not this!! Shit. Okay, she slipped her sketchers on and ran her fingers through her hair glad that she had put on a fresh shirt over her well worn jeans.

She cracked the door slightly, tilting her head to the side and looking him up and down she teased, “We don’t want any.”

“Oh damn,” he joked back, “I guess I’ll have to eat this all by myself.” He popped open the lid of the box he was holding and the aroma jumped out and grabbed her.

Throwing the door open, she stepped back saying, “We changed our mind.”

Sebastian laughed and stepped inside. Vicki led the way to the kitchen counter, where he set the pizza down and turned to say, “I know I was supposed to call, but I figured since we missed our lunch, you wouldn’t mind me just showing up.”

“Well, a little warning is always nice, but I think as long as it’s you and you don’t come empty handed, we can make an exception.”

Giving her his most beautiful smile he said, “An exception, eh? I’m touched.”

“Yes, you are touched, in the head, you silly boy. Here,” she handed him a plate and pulled a bottle of wine from the built in wine cooler under the counter, then poured a couple of glasses.

Sebastian raised his brows at her and she said, “No. I do not drink alone. But I do host a “girl’s night out” here every few weeks and the ladies like to drink… makes for quite an entertaining evening.”

They tapped the glasses together softly, “To old friends,” they agreed and sipped from their glasses.

“Oh, I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what actually goes on at those things.”

Vicki laughed, and then blushed; admitting that HE had been the main topic of discussion on more than one occasion and how it was so hard for her not to say anything to them about knowing him.

“Why don’t you tell them?” he asked.

“Oh lord. The questions would never end and they would immediately set out on the “search for Sebastian” bandwagon. And honestly, I never wanted to intrude in your life.”

“Vic,” he spoke, all joking aside, “What makes you think it would be an intrusion? How could you think for one minute that I wouldn’t be happy to see you?”

Giving him her best “Are you kidding me?” look, she sighed, “Sebastian, really? I mean seriously? It’s not like we were ever more than friends, and most people would say we didn’t really know each other long enough to be more than acquaintances who got along really well. Besides, I’m sure you have dozens and dozens of friends who have a lot more in common with you than I ever did.   Why would you want me pestering you?”

They had been leaning against the kitchen counter and he stepped in front of her, putting his hands on the counter top on either side of her, his face almost touching hers as he spoke softly, “You know better than that. I know you do. If you chose not to contact me, it was because of what you wanted, not what I might or might not want. Don’t make me the bad guy sweetheart… we both know that’s not true.”

She looked down at his chest without saying anything, nodding ever so slightly.

“Look at me, please,” he asked her in a whisper.

Vicki lifted her head and looked into his startling blue eyes while he gently placed one hand to the side of her face and lowered his head to kiss her. Their lips met, the taste of wine still lingering on both of their mouths, adding to the delicious moment. Sebastian pulled her closer, putting his arm between her back and the counter as he leaned into her with his whole body sending a wave of delight coursing through her. He couldn’t stop himself from nibbling gently on her delicate neck, pushing the top of her shirt aside so he could run his lips across her bare shoulder. He worked his way back to her mouth and she buried her fingers in his thick brown waves, encouraging him with her tongue, as he responded with a groan.  
  


When they finally had to come up for air Vicki started giggling.

Sebastian rolled his eyes and leaned his head back then asked, “Okay. What did I do?”

“Nothing,’ she answered as she touched his shoulder softly, and then giggled again.

“Come on… just spit it out.”

Putting both hands on his chest, eyes twinkling she answered, “Sebby, I promise its nothing you did. It’s… it’s this whole crazy day. I can’t even wrap my head around it.” She put her finger tips to the side of her head and made the ‘mind blown’ motion.

Sebastian nodded in agreement, “It has been a little odd.” He picked up a piece of pizza and took a bite.

“Odd? This morning I was afraid that you would remember me and at the same time I was afraid that you wouldn’t. Next we have the elevator ride from Hell...”

“Hey, it wasn’t THAT bad.” He nudged her on the shoulder.

Vicki gave him another of ‘those’ looks and continued, “And now…now this. I mean… what, what IS this Sebby? What are we doing?”

He chewed his lip and studied her face, “First, we are going to eat pizza, finish that bottle of wine; maybe hold hands a while, and then we are going to figure that out. How does that sound?”

With a shrug and a sigh she smiled and took a bite of the pizza he was holding saying, “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”  
  


An hour and a half later found them on the small balcony outside of Vicki’s living room. The pizza was all but gone, the first bottle of wine was empty and a second had been opened, tested and found worthy as a follow up to the first. Vicki had turned the stereo on, Journey played softly in the background. Reaching over to take her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze, he closed his eyes and leaned back, nodding his head slightly to the music. She turned to gaze at him openly. He was so gorgeous. He had been a cutie back in school and of course she had followed his career and observed the transformation that had taken place over the past 16 years. However, seeing him on television or in the movies was a bit different than up close and personal. But it was all good. Very good. The scattering of gray in his hair, the laugh lines, the knowing look in his arresting blue eyes; it all gave him a maturity and a machismo that had been missing the last time they were together.

Oh, it didn’t stop there. His broad chest and muscled body were awe inspiring. Those long legs and fingers were titillating … every freaking inch of him was beautiful and the whole package? The whole package was breathtaking. The music had stopped and in the quiet Sebastian opened his eyes and asked her, “See something you like?”

Vicki broke into laughter, not one bit ashamed of being caught checking him out. With a knowing smirk he closed his eyes again stretching in the chair, as if he was used to being on display. Her eyes twinkled as she continued to consider his ‘assets’; she supposed he was pretty much on display every time he stepped outside. He opened his eyes again and looking at her innocently, he asked, “What?” She stood and reached to touch his nose with the tip of her finger saying, “You’re cute,” as she walked back inside to visit the bathroom; leaving Sebastian to consider whether or not “cute” was exactly the impression he wanted to her to have. While she was there, of course she touched up her hair and cheeks and made sure there was no pizza caught in her teeth.

Walking back out, she found Sebastian fiddling with the music system, and he looked at her with a plea for help written on his face.

“No Sebastian. We are going to have that talk now. I need to know what we’ve started, or if we’ve stared anything at all.”

“Vicki, can’t we just let whatever it is happen, and not worry about it?”

“No we can’t, or at least I can’t, because it’s **you**. It’s you and **me**. It’s **us**. And this is so weird.” She was leaning on a large column that served as an entry marker into the living room; looking like a lost kitten.

Sebastian left the stereo and walked over to stand by her, putting his hands on her hips, “I’m sorry; I don’t understand what it is that you are so concerned about. Help me out here, please?”

She paused for a couple of beats then began, “I … I didn’t tell you that there was someone a few years after David. I fell for him, HARD and…long story short, he ended up breaking my heart. It honestly hurt far worse than when David and I split up. I just, I don’t ever want to feel like that again, not ever.”

“I would never hurt you. You know that.”

“Of course you wouldn’t, not on purpose. But Sebby, you have had a special place in my heart for nearly 20 years. It would be so easy for me to let go and lose myself in you, because I trust you… So, if whatever you are feeling for me right now is nostalgia; if it’s just for ‘a moment’, if all you are looking for is a one night stand with an old friend, if that’s all this is I need to know it. I can deal with that because it’s honest.” She looked away, swiping at the tear that had trickled down her cheek. “I’m sorry. You probably think I’m being ridiculous. And I promise, I’m not asking for a commitment or anything like that… I just need your assurance that I won’t wake up tomorrow or the day after and for the first time in my life, regret that I ever met you. Don’t do that to me, please…”

“Oh…angel…” Sebastian was taken aback by her words.   This was not what he had expected. He was so touched by her honesty he didn’t want to say anything stupid. “I, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry you were hurt so badly. And maybe, if I’m completely honest, maybe when I first saw you this morning, when I first realized it was you and saw how beautiful you are and remembered how close we had been… maybe it WAS nostalgia then. But I swear to you, I would never even think of using you that way. I can’t imagine that anyone would. I’m not saying I’m perfect, or that I haven’t made mistakes with women, because I have… a lot of them in fact.”

He bowed his head and she gently ran one hand down his cheek. Looking up at her he continued, “Vicki, you have been so honest with me, and I don’t want to mislead you in any way. I’ll admit that when I knocked on your door earlier, I was convinced I knew how this night would end. I can see now how selfish that was. I’m sorry. And I’m ashamed.”

She released a shaky breath saying softly, “oh…please don’t…” she started to look away and Sebastian put both hands on her cheeks, searching her eyes, “I… I don’t want this to be “just” a one night stand. I don’t want this to be a fling. And I never, ever want you to regret that you know me.”  

“What DO you want Sebby?” she croaked out over the lump in her throat.

“I want us to try it. I want us to be together, in every way. Maybe not tonight; maybe not next week or the week after. But someday…I want us to be **‘us’** , together. I hope you want the same thing.”

He watched her as she processed what he had just said. He knew she was trying to recognize the boy he had been in the man he was today, the same way he had searched his yearbooks for the girl she had been. She was right about the whole day being off its axis. Everything was new and different, but somehow oddly familiar at the same time. It was the most peculiar sensation.

“Vicki? Please say something.”

“Yes.”

“Yes?” he peered into her eyes.

“Yes. I want that too. More than I can tell you.” Smiling at him she put her arms around his neck, pulling his head down so his lips were close to hers, her green eyes sparkling with emotion she whispered, “Okay… let’s dance.”

He put his arms around her and chuckled, “There’s no music.”

“Then let’s make some,” she answered softly, pressing her mouth to his, losing herself in his embrace as they shared their passion, their desire for each other, and the promise of things to come…

 

 

The End.


End file.
